(03/08/2018) Toronto ON – The RINJ Foundation Women, a Canada-based global Civil Society women’s group wants to wish you a Happy International Women’s Day 2018.

The group has released a series of papers setting out some explanations of why the gender gap in the past year has widened considerably.

According to Melissa Hemingway of The RINJ Foundation‘s global team, the alarming gender inequality of the past year is not only a pressing moral and social issue but also a critical economic challenge.

Some very Positive Breakthroughs Among Global Giants like the nation of Canada and the Corporation, General Motors.

“Marginalizing women is decapitating half your global market,” she adds in a media interview to be aired today in Europe as she talks about the economy and its dependence on global gender equality.

Her series of papers praises women like Mary Barra, CEO and chair of American giant car maker General Motors(GM).

“Mary is not about “girl power” she is about improving your transportation and making money for you if you happen to be a GM shareholder or stakeholder. She is also about caring for a quarter million GM employees.”

Melissa, in one particular paper (Feminists Make You Rich) praises Canada’s new focus on gender parity in an economic sense.

She notes that under Barra’s leadership, GM says it envisions a world with zero crashes, to save lives; zero emissions, so future generations can inherit a healthier planet; and zero congestion, so customers get back a precious commodity — time.

“Now that’s what women and men working together looks and sounds like.”

One day I woke up in Syria with enough time to read a week-old newspaper with headlines that referred to a 50% female Canadian Cabinet. (OK so that explosion was closer than I realized. Am I dead or unconscious in the midst of some beautiful fantasy?)

“Let’s stop screwing around. Countries like Canada know what nation states and corporations should have discovered decades ago: gender equality is going to make you some serious money.”

“Canada plans to exceed its already excellent economic performance by advancing gender parity; enhancing women’s equality not just in the workplace but within academia, society, government and importantly, on the corporate top floor and in the boardroom.Yes. The smart CEOs are putting men and women together to work at top levels and realize as much as a 24 trillion dollar bonus to global economies by the year 2025. ARE YOU IN?

“But today in most places ordinary women get less pay or none at all while they rescue their communities from forced migration, starvation, oppression and hunger. Damn.

Nothing is sadder and more humiliating and debilitating than being hungry, all the time.”

In addition to making meals at home, which is a tin-roof shack or a shared space in someone else’s shack, these women cook food and sell their simple meals at roadside “restaurants” in central Luzon island, Philippines or work in small market garden farm plots. While they continue to care for their families feeding and cleaning, having children and caring for them, they work long hours each day and earn less than $1.90 daily purchasing power parity and as such comprise a group of 11% of the Philippines’ employed population doing slightly better than the 21% of population living in abject poverty. (2012 data from the Asian Development Bank but recent analysis suggests massive deterioration since 2012.)

Health and Survival – Women with Children appear most often among migrants and the impoverished. Mortality rates are awful.

Think equality.

Sadly the latest World Economic Forum-Gender Gap Report, which measures gender equality on a global scale, 2017 was the first time in more than 10 years that the gender gap began to widen again. The current gap in income between men and women is so wide that it would take 217 years to close it, according to the report. Inequality grew across all categories, but the gap grew particularly in the economic equality category.

Packed with humour and tons of statistics, Melissa’s “Feminine Perspective” shares some intellectual light on the way ahead for gender equality: it’s an academic, corporate and financial proposition for fiscal responsibility.

International Women’s Day – March 8, 2018 by Melissa Hemingway (Feminine Perspective Staff writer) Feminism is a doctrine that advocates equal rights for men and women. Are you a feminist or not? Feminists can make you rich.

Women and men actually want the same things. We are all upright-walking homo-sapiens and when we all get out of bed in the morning, the world we want to make better is enjoyed the same way by both genders. Balance is beautiful. Gender parity is functional.Let’s make money, build great communities, give hope to our children and be happy.

“We are at a pivotal moment for women’s rights. The historical and structural inequalities that have allowed oppression and discrimination to flourish are being exposed like never before. From Latin America to Europe to Asia, on social media, on film sets, on the factory floor and in the streets, women are calling for lasting change and zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination of all kinds.” —UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres